Chance Meetings
by audrey001
Summary: This is a story about people and their lives, though different, coming together. These are the stories of the lesser known characters such as Seamus Finnagan, Blaise Zabini, Cho Chang, Roger Davies, Laurel Moon, and more, who's lives entertwine.
1. prefect badges and sleeping in

Aahh, this is my first fanfic so I'd be grateful if you reviewed to help me get better. Not all the characters are introduced yet, it should get better as it moves along.

  
  
  
  


Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns it all, not me...

  
  
  
  


The girls of fifth year Slytherin woke to the shrill brassy sound of the alarm clock resounding in their ears. Blaise Zabini groaned and threw herself from her stomach onto her back. She heard a bump, which she knew to be one of her roommates falling from her four poster bed. The said person mumbled and cursed, apparently aggrivated that she was awakened. None the less, Blaise heard a trunk pop open, and the shuffling of clothes being sorted through. 

Blaise opened her eyes to see a flash of bright orange hair. Pansy Parkinson, already donned in Slytherin uniform, ties and all, was galloping around the room, carping about some lost item or another. "Really, where in hell is my other platform!" she shrilled, turning on Blaise.

"I don't have it, why would I want those cheap shoes anyway?" Blaise sneered, while pulling herself into a sitting position so she could brush her dark mane.

Pansy laughed briskly, not letting Blaise get her undone. "Cheap? These," she explained, pointing to the shoe she already had on, "are one hundred percent hungarian horntail leathers, not that you would know."

Blaise shrugged and continued to dress herself. "Aha!" Pansy exclaimed with glee, apparently finding the said shoe.

"Caph ooh lasph blee magh airphrush?" mumbled a blonde head, further identified as Laurel Moon, from where she stood, self-brushing tooth brush in mouth, in the door war of the bathroom. She was apparently the one who had fallen out of her bed, seeing as Pansy had been up before the alarm went of, and Millicent was still sleeping.

If not for four years prior to this year, of this, Blaise would have been clueless as to what the blonde had said, but fortunately (or unfortunately) she had been living with these girls for some time, and she knew right away what Moon was interjecting. Blaise nodded, and pulled the hair brush from Laurel's night stand and threw it to her. With experienced ease, she caught it in one hand, and with a nod, she turned back to the lavatory.

"Ahhh, well, I'm off to meet Draco," Parkinson replied, and with a dismissive wave of the hand and a flip of her too-bright-to-be-real orange-blonde hair, she turned onto the stone steps which led to their common room and disappeared from the girls' sight. Blaise could almost hear Laurel roll her eyes. 

Throwing her tie around her neck, Blaise headed to the bathroom as the petite blonde stalked out, managing to look both gorgeous and menacing at the same time, something that she had perfected long ago. Blaise had always envied that about Laurel, but dismissed it as she realized that it must come with the family, being related to the Malfoys and all.

Pulling her previously brushed ebony hair into a half ponytail, she took out what little makeup she used. She applied a light colored eyeshadow and black mascara (which she really didn't need) and a light blush. In her first year, she had wondered why many of the Slytherins were so pale, but dismissed that, as well, as a cross between lack of sunlight and too much inbreeding. Knotting her tie and adjusting her skirt, she checked herself over in the bathroom mirror (which kept harping insults) that was embedded with jewels and silver snakes crawling up the sides, before giving it a rude gesture with her finger, after yet another insult on her dressing style, and leaving.

As she walked out she expected to hear Millicent still snoring obnoxiously loud, as always, and the rest of the room empty. It had been like that everyday since she was a first year, with the exception of holidays and when somebody was getting treated by Madame Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing. Therefore, she was more than a little surprised when there was a lack of snoring on Millicent's part. At first thought, she pondered if perhaps Bulstrode had drowned in her own drool. The truth was explained by the sudden appearance of Laurel and flying items as she sifted through her bags at the foot of her emerald green bed. Millicent was grunting in protest as several of the items hit her. After what looked like would be a particularly nasty bump from a remembrall, Millicent sat up straight and grunted in a low voice, "What are you looking for now, Moon, that's so important as to wake me up?"

Laurel huffed. "I can't find that stupid prefect badge, and I have to go to Snape's office five minutes ago, where he's going to likely give me a speech about prefect duties and what's expected of me and what not. It's not going to help the situation if I lost my badge..." Laurel rambled on as Blaise left the flustered Laurel and the grumbling Millicent behind, for a more uplifting thought: breakfast.

  
  


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At the approximate time that Blaise Zabini was sitting down at the Slytherin table to her breakfast, a one Mr. Finnigan was dreaming of quidditch, which was, in his opinion and the opinion of most other students in Hogwart's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, undoubtably the best sport ever. 

Waking up to a yell, he groaned. "Don't give me that. Get up, Finnigan, your friends most likely have left you for dead."

Seamus chanced opening an eye, and saw a dark figure, soon recognized as Lee Jordan, leaning on the doorframe leading into the fifth year Gryffindor boys dorm. "What time is it?" he mumbled incoherently, while throwing the scarlet and gold comforters back.

"Hmm?" he replied, looking up from where he was checking his nails, and raised his dark eyebrows. "Oh, it's fifteen minutes until first class starts. You better get moving if you want to even get your schedule for the year."

Seamus suddenly bulted upright and fell out of bed. He scrambled over to his trunk and began throwing clothes out aimlessly, searching for his robes and uniform. "Man, if I didn't come by to get my books and decide to check for any stranglers, you'd be in for it. McGonagall would have your head; she still will if you don't move a little faster. I can just see it, 'The first day! The first day of classes, Finnigan, and you're already late! Maybe we should have a discussion on your priorities!'" Lee shrieked in a rather shrill interpretation of their Transfiguration professor. 

Seamus chose to ignore that somewhat obvious comment, being fairly busy with trying to get his pants on and find his tie at the same time. He managed to get on his pants and threw a shirt on over his head. "Oh, man, I got to go! Don't wanna be late," Lee exclaimed boisterously, and with a rushed wave and what Seamus thought to be a smirk, he was gone. 

Seamus threw on his robes and grabbed his bag, before grasping his tie and flinging it around his neck to fasten when he got the chance. He stumbled down the stairs while trying to tie the laces of his shoes and eventually fell when on the third to last step.

He flew down his way to the Great Hall, jumping over trick stairs which he knew by heart. Throwing open the doors he rushed into the Great Hall, the double doors banging loudly behind him. The few people still in the Great Hall because of free first periods, looked up. He ran over to the Gryffindor table where the remaining student schedules laid. Shuffling throught the remaining few, he found his own and sped off in search of his first class. He looked at his list and cringed. He had Advanced Transfiguration, great, just great, now McGonagall was gonna be majorly pissed.

He ran along the corridors from memorization all the while trying to tie his tie. He soon made it to the corridor where the Transfiguration classroom was. Just as he was about to turn, he felt himself smack into something hard and fall to the ground. The thing that he smashed into cursed violently and Seamus looked up to see a blonde gathering up a large pile of books which fell from her hands during the collision. "Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" he hurriedly apologised, helping her gather up her books.

"Well, obviously you weren't looking!" she snapped irritably, snatching the books he handed over and tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. She sighed and replied with a much kinder and calmer voice, "Sorry, I am just having a really crappy day. Don't worry about it, it's just as much my fault as it is yours." 

Seamus saw her blue eyes widen with realization as she looked up at him and the colors he adorned as she paled, as did he when he noticed that she indeed was a Slytherin, donned in green and silver. She visibly gulped before turning around with the usual Slytherin poise, and stalking through the door and into the Transfiguration room. Seamus followed her, but still was dumbstruck by the Slytherin's behavior.


	2. an increasingly bad day

  
  


Disclaimer: I'm not J.K Rowling . . . 

  
  
  
  


Isabel MacDougal was mad. Isabel was rarely mad, but when she was, oh, it was a sight to behold. She stomped down the halls as she headed down to the dungeon, causing several heads to turn toward the short brunette. Isabel, however, was ignorant to the stares of her peers. As a group of three second year Hufflepuffs passed by, of whom she recognized Kevin Whitby and Laura Madley, she glared as ferociously as she could at them; their house was nothing but trouble to her. Madley blushed and lowered her head, having obviously heard the most recent rumors surrounding her schoolmates. Whitby, however, appeared thoroughly confused and looked as if he was about to approach her until Laura grabbed his arm, yanked on it, and pulled him down the hall behind her and into the Muggle History classroom. Hufflepuffs, obviously not the smartest in the bunch, she thought miserably. So how did I let this happen to me? I'm a Ravenclaw, I'm supposed to be smart, at least smarter than a Hufflepuff!

She continued down the stairs and into the Potions room. Several of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws from her year were already there. She made a point not to look at any of the Hufflepuffs as she sat down into the seat next to one of her best friends and fellow fifth year Ravenclaw, Kevin Entwistle. "Hey," he replied, closing the book he had been reading, Quidditch Through the Ages, and looking up at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, a concerned light flashing in his hazel eyes.

"You haven't heard? The first year Slytherins probably know!" Isabel exclaimed sarcastically yet truthfully, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.

"I've been in the library all morning," he admitted, showing her the book. "So, what happened?"

"I'll tell you later," she mumbled from the corner of her mouth, looking toward the door. 

Kevin followed her line of sight and raised his eyebrows as he spotted his target, Zacharius Smith. "Ah, relationship problems?" he inquired quietly.

"What relationship?" the brunette replied bitterly. Kevin bit his lip and frowned, wondering what on earth happened this time. 

Terry Boot and Michael Corner, two of their friends and Ravenclaws, dropped themselves into the seats two rows in back of them. "Hey, MacDougal," Isabel winced as Michael's voice sounded in her ears, and the ears of everyone around her. She knew what was coming. "I heard what happened! That's bloody rotten what that prat did!" 

Isabel sighed and spoke, not turning around, "Thanks, Mikey. As if I didn't already know that." 

Isabel heard Terry hit Michael and hiss, "Good work, tell the whole class!" Isabel moved lower into her seat. It didn't really matter, most everyone knew, and if they didn't they'd know before lunch. But really, she thought, I'm the victim, he's the bloody asshole and there is no way for anyone to put blame on me.

She didn't really blame Mikey, he had always had trouble keeping his voice down into moderate levels, that included his opinions as well. His mouth got him into a lot of trouble, especially in Potions, but it was worth it just to see Snape's face; besides, Mikey was absolutely brilliant, effortlessly so. He was just as smart as that Gryffindor, Granger; it was just that he didn't try and rarely handed in homework. Still, most of the professors knew that he was brilliant. He was rarely favored by any professor aside from Sinistra, though. In Isabel's opinion, she believed he was not chosen for prefect over Terry because of the professors' dislike toward his lack of work ethics and his big mouth.

Now, Isabel wasn't saying that the other Ravenclaws weren't incredibly smart as well; of course they were. It was just that he was indescribably smart. He knew any question you could ask him. While Ravenclaws were known for their logic and excruciatingly large vocabularies, Corner did not often listen to logic, and got himself into quite a bit of trouble. He often dragged along Isabel or one of the other fifth years on some of his late night escapades when Terry had decided to use his head or had too much homework. Luckily, Corner rarely got caught, he was too smart for that, and when caught with his girlfriend of the week, he could often get Professor Sinistra (who simply adored him and his theories on the sky) to believe that he was in the Astronomy Tower to study the stars. Yeah, right.

A slam of the door shook Isabel from her reveries. She looked up to see Snape stalk in with the usual scowl on his face. "Seeing as there is a certain lack of talent on this year's fifth year students," he paused to sneer at the Ravenclaws, who, apart from Mikey, hated to be called "lacking" in anything, "the advanced potions class for the quicker students, or, well, it is in comparison to some others, will be canceled. So," he paused to heave a dramatic sigh which sounded a mere hiss, "we will all have to go at the pace of my choice, which means if you can't keep up you will be gone. Remember this year is your most important year so far, because you have your Ordinary Wizarding Exams. With the prospects of what I've seen so far, a good decent amount of you will be in danger of failing your Potions O.W.L., and, from what I see here, none of you will make the Potions class next year because I accept nothing less than an Outstanding." 

Many of the Ravenclaws narrowed their eyes and ground their teeth in anger against such blatant of an insult to their intelligence. Isabel glanced behind her to see if perhaps Mikey had taken offense to that comment, but her eyes widened in surprise as she realized he must have missed the entire speech, upon seeing him asleep skillfully, with his eyes open. He had bragged about that when he had taught himself to do it halfway through their first year. It used to freak her out to see him stare so blankly ahead, while asleep, but now it just annoyed her that he had such a helpful talent of which she obviously was lacking. 

Just then the door opened. Snape stopped his lecture momentarily, turning to look at whoever it was. Hannah Abbott's head peaked out from the door as she causiously made her way in, head down. "Late on the first day, Abbott? Fifteen points from Hufflepuff. Next time you are going to be late, don't bother showing up and distrupting my class," he spat angrily. Even though Hannah was a Hufflepuff, she couldn't help feeling her heart going out to the poor girl. Hannah sat down in the seat next to Justin Finch-Fletchy and blushed brightly. 

Isabel say Mandy Brocklehurst bite her lip and frown from her seat on the other side of Kevin. She and Hannah had always been good friends and Mandy was an honestly good person who had to restrain herself constantly from defending everyone.

Snape continued on with his lecture as Isabel took to quietly whispering to Kevin about their advanced courses for the year. Isabel was just asking Kevin if he had Advanced Transfiguration Wednesday when she was interupted. "Miss MacDougal, what ingredients are needed for the Ageing Potion?" At the sound of her name, her head snapped up, but she had not heard the question. She looked to Kevin who shrugged appoligetically; he hadn't heard the question either.

"Um, Professor, can you repeat that?" she asked quietly, several people snickered. 

Snape's lips turned into a sneer. "Weren't paying attention? Ten points from Ravenclaw. I don't care about your social life, so wait until after my class to have one. Now, what ingredients do you need for the Ageing Potion?"

"Oh, you need knotgrass, scarab beetles, and, um, tubeworms," she said, counting them off on her fingers; she had never done very well in Potions. 

He sneered at her again and she paled. "Does anyone know what happens when you combine scarab beetles and tubeworms?" He continued without waiting for an answer. "A catastrophe, that's what. If you drank that, results could vary according to the amount put in from blue skin to three heads oozing pus. With the amount you talk during my class, you don't need another two heads. Another ten points from Ravenclaw. If I hear you talking again it will be detention. Now, does anyone know the correct ingredients?"

He moved on to Ravenclaw Su Li, who apparently knew the answer ("You need scarab beetles, knotgrass, and Abyssian shrivelfig.") Isabel, who was feeling her terrible day get increasingly worse in the amount of five long minutes, sank down into her chair as far as she could, wishing to disappear.

  
  


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	3. plotting and an interesting school year

Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, so, yeah... 

You can get British slag terms from: 

Gkey: Thanks for reviewing! What a certain Mr. Smith did will be unraveled in this chapter (for the most part, at least).

  
  


"Stupid Gryffindors." Blaise looked up from her seat on one of the Slytherin common room's couches, where she was writing up a particularly nasty potions essay on the side affects of the Ageing potion, which had been handed out that day in their afternoon class. Laurel had placed herself dramatically on the sofa, slouched black against the back of the sofa, a hand to her head in what would be mock exasperation for anyone but Laurel, who did this quite often when she had a rough day and meant the action completely seriously.

"Tell me something I don't know," Zabini sighed, turning back to her essay. "What is it now?"

"Must there always be a reason for dislike toward the Gryffindor house?" Laurel continued when she saw Blaise raise an eyebrow. "Well, there is a specific reason this time. I ran into that Irish one on the way to Transfiguration."

Blaise nodded for her to continue, "The cute one, then."

"Um, if you say so," Moon stumbled over her words slightly. If Blaise had looked up she would have seen Laurel turning a light shade of pink, something that was as rare as Granger missing a homework assignment. "Well, he said sorry for running into me and I snapped. I apologized, then I noticed he was in Gryffindor and bolted for Transfiguration door."

Blaise laughed lightly, imagining Laurel bolting, eyes wide, for the Transfiguration room while a Gryffindor looked on with awe at the surprised Slytherin. "So, what does that have to do with anything."

"The Gryffindor's going to tell all his little Gryffindor friends about my lapse! Then, they'll think I've gone soft! Can you see a bunch of Gryffindors jesting me, or, worse yet, wanting to become . . . friends!" Laurel snapped suddenly, her every word laced with more disgust than the last.

Blaise laughed louder at the girl's reaction. "Believe me. Gryffindor's are completely set in their ways. To them, Slytherin equals enemy any way you look at it. They'll never be anything near friends to a Slytherins. It goes the same way from us Slytherins, as well. Unless you are to tell me you have fallen madly in love with this however handsome Gryffindor male."

"Ha! Please, stop humoring me. However, I think I will challenge your theory," Laurel said the last part slowly, thinking it over before she said it. At Zabini's raised eyebrow she continued, "I think, that perhaps Gryffindors have a weakness, something that perhaps can break down the invisible Gryffindor/Slytherin barrier that has existed from the birth of the Houses." Laurel glanced at Blaise, who had put down her essay and was now looking at Moon with her complete attention. 

"Are you going to do what I think you are? You are going to seduce the Gryffindor?" Blaise asked, a smirk playing at her lips. 

"Not . . . quite. You know that Gryffindors are mindlessly brave, doing without thinking. They rather follow their hearts than anything else. That has to be their biggest weakness, their hearts. While Gryffindors are naturally stubborn, I believe it will be easier to make him fall in love with me than someone would originally think. Now, falling in love and seducing are two different things. Seducing is more falling in . . . lust. Quite different, actually. I will do a little experiment with the Irish boy. Let us see if perhaps an oh-so-good Gryffindor could fall in love with an oh-so-evil Slytherin. He doesn't know what he's in for." Moon smirked to herself, yes, this could work. Oh, yes, that innocent little boy has no idea what he's in for.

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Cho looked up from her reading to see Michael Corner clamber in through the entrance. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was past one. It wasn't unusual for the studious Ravenclaws to see people doing homework past one. Terry Boot trampled in after him, pausing only to glare at the back of Michael's head. She felt Kevin Entwistle, Padma Patil, and Isabel MacDougal look up from the table next to her where they were bent over their transfiguration essays. "Ah, Michael, Terry, what are you doing back so early? I thought you were both "studying the stars" with Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones," Padma remarked, smirking. Everyone knew what had happened, it happened at least once a month with Corner.

Mikey just shrugged. "Oh, Abbott and I are over. Something about me never having enough time or something equal ballocks." Michael carelessly perched himself on the arm of the sofa, as he read over Isabel's shoulder.

Terry snorted in distaste. "Yeah, and then Susan couldn't bear to see her friend in such a state and left me. Can you believe it? She left me! I'm the reason she passed potions last year. I should at least get a little action for the amount of time I spent tutoring the duffer!"

Cho was about to tell Boot just how nauseating it was that that was all guys look for, when a baritone voice sounded behind her. "So, we ready for quidditch?" Cho rolled her eyes and looked playfully up at her quidditch captain and best friend, Roger Davies. 

Davies smiled and his crystal blue eyes sparkled. Many a girl had fallen entranced by this tall, dark, and handsome boy. The part-veela Triwizard champion, Fleur Delacour, was no exception. They had a short relationship which ended peacefully after the last school year ended and Fleur graduated. However handsome and charming this boy was, it all held no romantic perspective for the Oriental witch. "The question is, are you?" She playfully poked him in the chest.

He dropped his jaw in a mock-flabbergasted expression. "Now, Miss Chang, are you doubting my skills?" He asked, his mouth quirking up at the sides.

"No, of course not," she defended.

"No, no, I think I do. You don't believe my skills with a broom." 

Cho and the others laughed as Roger put on a mock-hurt expression before smiling and plopping himself down between Cho and Kevin Entwistle.

Isabel snapped shut her book. "Done!"She exclaimed. "I'm off to bed." Isabel smiled to them all and wandered up the steps.

"Poor Isabel," Padma said wistfully.

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "She'll live."

"I feel bad about basically yelling it out in class today," Mikey confessed frowning. "I'll have to talk to her later."

Roger shook his head. "It must be terrible for her, having to walk in and see her boyfriend and a Gryffie snogging themselves senseless. On the first day of classes, no less."

It was quiet for a second. Cho played with a stray string on her robes. Kevin bit his lip while Padma looked down. They all knew how much Isabel had cared for Zach. They had been dating since third year. For it to end all so suddenly was a bit shocking, but Isabel was adamant about not giving him another chance. He hadn't even tried to apologize or even talk to her about the incident.

"I'm going to kill that kid," Mikey hissed. "Nobody messes with my friends."

For all the things Mikey was, filled with empty threats was none of these. Cho hissed a sharp breath as Padma gripped his arm. "Mike, no. It's not going to help anything."

"Fine," Corner grumbled, "but if he tries anything you can't stop me."

Cho noticed Kevin had yet to say anything. Kevin had never been one for violence but, then again, Isabel, who he was very protective over, rarely was hurt. Cho remember when, in her second year, Kevin had been being picked on by some third year Slytherins for something or other, and Isabel had come to his rescue saying to bugger off or she'd punch them in the eye. Although Kevin had been teased about a girl coming to his rescue for his whole first year, they had been inceperable since.

Terry broke the silence that had once again taken over with a sigh. "If today is anything to show for what's to come, this is going to be an interesting school year in the least."


	4. The hogwarts express and Great Hall mish...

I'm sorry that I haven't updated this in absolutely forever, or at least more than seven months. It hasn't been that I have been planning on leaving this on permanent hiatus. I've been planning on updating this since I posted the last chapter, it's just taken me much longer to get back to planning and writing than I expected. It was mainly due to me not being able to come up with things to write and friends and school and a whole bunch of things, but now I've gotten things a whole lot more together with a better view on the backgrounds of all the minor characters and I'll be updating more, even if it might be sporatic and not nearly as quickly as I sent out the first three chapters. I hope I didn't loose my reviewers! Thanks to Seraphina Pyra and Gkey for reviewing. Gkey- Don't worry, there is more on Zach in this chapter, and it explains why he did what he did.

Disclaimer: I'm definately not JK Rowling, I don't even live on the same continent.

On to the story!

Laurel walked into the Great Hall on Monday with her head held high. It appeared just as it would any day. No one suspected anything abnormal in the least; just the way she wanted it. It would be no good for anyone to suspect anything before anything had actually happened. At this point in time the only two people who knew today could possibly mark an important event in history were entrancing beside to each other. Today would be the first time in recorded history a Slytherin had sat down at the Gryffindor table. Blaise wished Laurel success as she turned to the Slytherin table and Laurel kept going.

Laurel Moon was not one to be nervous under pressure but she certainly was now. She knew her cousin would be angry. _Very_ angry. She continued on either way. "May I sit here?" Laurel said blandly to Seamus, but pushed herself between him and a black boy she recalled as Thomas before he could reply.

All the Gryffindors stopped to stare at her. Some looked confused, while others haughty. Neville Longbottom looked as though he was ready to wet his pants. She heard him hiss to a blonde girl in her own year that she was Malfoy's cousin. "What's with all this friendliness, Slytherin, or are you abandoning your own kind?" Finnigan demanded.

Laurel chose to ignore him. "Transfiguration, Finnigan. I can't seem to comprehend several of the aspects of our last class." It wasn't a complete lie, she had failed miserably, at least by her own standards, on the last transfiguration assignment, and had been one of the last in her advanced class to demonstrate it accurately. That wasn't the type of behavior her family expected from her.

Finnigan scoffed and scowled. "Since when have you come to me for enlightenment in the art of transfiguration? Why don't you just go ask a Slytherin or pay off a Ravenclaw?"

Laurel sneered, "Because I don't particuarly want to ask Draco and most of the others in my year Slytherin are complete dolts in such a Griffindor dominated class. Besides, you're in my class and Ravenclaws have it another period."

A red faced Ron Weasley interupted rudely from beside the-head-girl-to-be and the-boy-who-never-failed-to-live. "When did you start becoming so desperate that you felt you had to "lower" yourself down to a Gryffindor's level, Moon?"

"I'm an opportunist, Weasley, I take what I can get in order to further myself, this time in the name of the art of transfiguration."

Weasley shot a glare and muttered some choice words about opportunists and Slytherins going hand in hand, before forcefully being told to turn around and eat by Granger.

She turned back to the Irish boy. "So, you'll help me?" Without waiting for an answer she stood up abruptly and dusted herself off with great poise. "Good. See you at 9:30 Friday night. I can't possibly do it any earlier because of prior commitments to my prefect duties, so you'll just have to plan your little scedule around our little study session. Buh, bye."

With that she flounced away, leaving a bewildered Irish boy and his angry friends in her wake.

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This year had started out all wrong and gone downhill from there. She had thought going into her sixth year would be her best yet, with only one more year to the top without all the nasty tests, and she was only trying to be nice when she saw Zacharius Smith sitting alone and thoroughly depressed on the train. If only she knew the trouble her kindness would lead her into.

_"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" She asked nervously, not sure how she would be accepted by the blotchy eyed fifth year who had obviously been greatly upset by something._

_"Uhm, yeah, sure, if you want." He didn't sound too excited about the idea, though._

_They sat in silence as the ride continued on, it wasn't the sort of comfortable silence. Andie itched to make conversation, but it felt awkward to start it up. "So, uhm, how was your summer?"They had never really had a proper conversation before and it showed._

_He shrugged. "Well enough. You?"_

_"Oh, it wasn't so great, my great aunt, Sidonia, came up to visit from Edinburgh and she's one piece of work. My brother mangaged to escape unharmed to a friend's house while I wasn't quite so lucky." _

_He laughed. "That bad, huh? I had Justin Finch-Fletchey over for part of the summer. Can you believe he had never been to a magical house before?"_

_She shook her head. "You're still going with that Ravenclaw right?"_

_"Technically, but, truthfully, it's been falling apart for a while. I have no idea what to do. We planned to visit over the summer, I think I thought it would fix all our problems if we were out of school," he laughed bitterly, he didn't seem to care that he probably had spoken less than five words to Andrea Sloper through his whole time at Hogwarts, he just needed to vent and she was there. "We barely sent five letters back and forth. The plans to meet fell through cause her family went to visit relatives in Scotland."_

_It just got worse when we met in Diagon Alley. I brought up the fact that we had barely talked all summer while she was in Scotland, and she accused me of trying to make her choose between me and her family before storming off, and now I- I've just got no idea what to do. It's all going to hell! We've just become so comfortable we this- this _relationship_ that we keep holding on to, and it's just not there. There's no way we can fix it anymore, it's just so far gone by now. I mean, this whole thing is just as much my fault. I knew it had ended by the end of last year but I really couldn't believe it. I mean, I've been in this relationship since the beginning of my third year. My _third _year! Oh, what am I gonna do?" He buried his head in his arms as Andie crossed over to sit next to him as she slipped an arm over his shoulder to comfort him._

_"Hey, eventually everything will calm down. If things aren't working out, they aren't working out and you have to eventually let go," she replied somewhat awkwardly as she patted his shoulder sympathetically. This was the same boy she had seem many times strutting down the halls confidently with groups of friends and a smiling Ravenclaw attached to his arm; to see him in such a state as he was now was something one would never expect. _

_He eventually looked up at her. "Thanks," he whispered._

_She suddenly noticed that he was a lot closer than before, and he was oddly attractive with his hair disheveled and eyes red-rimmed and glassy, he had a sense of vulnerability that she suspected few had seen from this closed-as-a-book boy. Her breathing hitched as he leaned closer and she found herself kissing him. It wasn't especially spectacular, it was slightly messy, but if it was comforting him that was good enough for her, and it wasn't a terrible way of spending time for herself, either. His hands found her face and she linked her's through his hair. Suddenly, the door flew open. "Zach, I'm sorry I overreacted but-"_

_The two flew apart looking properly guilty. Zach seemed to suddenly find his shoe laces incredibly interesting and Andie looked at everything but the girl in front of her. She suddenly felt terrible about what she did. _What if this girl honestly believed this rift in she and Zach's relationship was fixable?_ That was when she realized that to the whole school, who pictured them to be the perfect couple, she had suddenly become the other woman._

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Hope you guys liked! Review because I can't get better if I don't know what I did wrong, and, reviews are always nice either way.


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